Looking for that Special Someone/thing...

You know how you make a plan and RL throws stuff in the way? Yeah, that's where I'm at now. We didn't get to see the parade Tuesday night - Lord knows we tried! The parades were canceled tonight due to inclement weather (2 out of 3 were rescheduled - yay!), and The Littlest Book Addict is sick - cold and 102.5 fever :( So, all those carefully made plans flew right out the window!



I am looking for a book recommendation. I want an Alpha Male, but not a military-type Alpha; preferably paranormal or contemporary. (I know, I know - lots of requirements!!) Any suggestions? He doesn't need to bring firewood like the guy above, although it is cold outside and a girl needs to be kept warm...

In and Out

Just popping in to say I'll be in and out over the next several days; got lots going on here in the NOLA this week; don't think I'll get much reading done:

The city is still riding the wave of Superbowl victory! Everywhere you turn, friends and strangers holler "Who Dat!" and everyone is still sportin' their black and gold. Tonight is the big victory parade - 9 Krewes loaned signature floats to the team for their parade. It's going to be awesome! Hubs is actually going to be able to attend this one (he's in law enforcement, so he always has to work for the parades), so we're definitely there!! I'm a bit worried as it looks like temps will be in the 30s, and of course the 3-year-old woke up with a cough this morning :(

The next several days look to be crazy: Saints parade tonight; Druids tomorrow night (haven't decided if we'll go); Thursday night is Babylon, Muses (my favorite parade!!), and Chaos; Friday night is Hermes, d'Etat (another favorite!), and Morpheus; Saturday afternoon is Iris and Tucks; Saturday night is Endymion (which I usually skip as the fans for this parade are obnoxious). Sunday will be an all-day affair - we get there early for a good spot, watch Okeanos, Mid-City, Thoth, and then wait for the big one: Bacchus (I met my husband at Bacchus, sort of). It's going to be crazy this year as Drew Brees is King Bacchus this year. Then Monday is Proteus and Orpheus (Harry Connick Jr.'s parade). Tuesday is Mardi Gras, and those parades start at 8:00. I usually stay home for Mardi Gras as I don't like getting up that early and the crowds are so thick it makes me nervous. So I use it as a day to take care of all the stuff I've ignored over the last week.

Sleep? We don't need no stinkin' sleep! Or, as my BFF Hannah likes to say "You'll get plenty of sleep when you're dead." Well said!

Review: The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins, now with bonus TMI!!

This book falls into my Contemporary Reading Challenge.

Okay, I think you all know I'm a Kristan Higgins fangirl. Out of the five books she's written, only one was disappointing to me and one is on my keeper shelf. I was really looking forward to The Next Best Thing, and I loved it!

Lucy Lang became a widow at the young age of 25 after less than a year of marriage. She's been a widow for almost five years, working at the family bakery with her mother and aunts. Who all became widows at a young age. It seems to run in the family, whose maiden name is Fekete, which is Hungarian for Black - they're known as the Black Widows.

As the story opens, Lucy is at the hospital where her younger sister has just given birth. Lucy decides this is what she really wants, and thinks maybe it's time to start dating again. Which will require that she end her "friends with benefits" arrangement she's had going with Ethan. Ethan has spent his life living in the shadow of his older brother, Jimmy. He's also in love with Lucy, although she doesn't know it. When she breaks off their arrangement, he agrees, but he's not too happy about it, because he loves her.

There is so much going on in this book - there's no way I can even begin to explain how good it was. I laughed a bit and I cried a bit. I'm not going to say I laughed out loud, more like a chuckle here and there, but here's where the TMI comes in: Occasionally, depending on where I am in my, uh....cycle...I might cry a bit while reading something sad. I'm nowhere near that hormonal hell right now, but there were several scenes in this book where tears just poured out of my eyes; times when Lucy missed her husband, or wondered if she was doing the right thing. Ms. Higgins just wrote those scenes so, so sweetly. And when the gypsy gave Lucy the message...Oh! It took me a few pages but once I figured it out I wanted to reach into the book and make her see!!! This book took a few turns but I enjoyed reading it and the characters kept my interest; I read this book in a day.

The Next Best Thing was a great read! I really enjoyed it and give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Ilona Andrews Quiz

Ilona Andrews has a fun quiz going on over at her blog. See where you fit into the Kate Daniels world:

PAD

You are a cop of the Paranormal Activity Division. You have a strong sense of right and wrong and tend to see the world in black and white. The laws are there for a reason and you make sure that they stay in place. You live hard and party hard, because you never know when you have to put yourself between a crazed maniac armed with a fireball and a random citizen who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

More about factions: http://kate.ilona-andrews.com/category/factions/

Which Faction do you belong to?

Review: Hot In Here by Sophie Renwick

This book falls into my Contemporary Reading Challenge.

Jenna McCabe is a nice girl. She was born and raised on a farm in a small town and now lives in the nearby city as a PR Consultant. Bryce Ryder is a hot celebrity chef who grew up with Jenna but now owns a famous restaurant and has his own TV show. When Bryce gets some bad PR, he goes to Jenna for help.

Jenna has always been attracted to Bryce, who's never seen her as anything more than the girl next door - until they meet for dinner to talk about his PR problem. He wonders how he never noticed how beautiful she is, and he wants her - badly. After a disagreement about how to handle his case, he goes to her house to apologize and wish her a happy birthday. One thing leads to another and some hot sexin' ensues. The next morning, Jenna decides she's not going to be the one to get dumped, she'll just act like it was not big deal so Bryce won't know who much she cares for him. She doesn't realize Bryce is starting to have feelings for her....

As Bryce is trying to get closer to Jenna and Jenna keeps backing away, Jenna's sister Sarah and Bryce's brother Trey are trying to get Jenna and Bryce together using good publicity for Bryce as an excuse to force them to spend time together. Jenna doesn't want to be used, and every time Bryce convinces her that he cares about her something happens to undermine her confidence in Bryce's declarations.

There's a secondary storyline about how Jenna's family is about to lose their farm, and Bryce's father wants to buy it and turn it into a strip mall. There is also some history between Sarah and Trey that isn't resolved, hopefully it will be the next book if there is one planned.

This book kept me turning the page to see what would happen next. The sexin' was hot and the drama was good. I kind of felt like Bryce fell a bit too hard too fast, but it was still a fun story. I give this book 4 stars - I really liked it!

Thank you Peace, Love, & Pat and Parajunkee!!!

So....how do you like my new look?

Many, many thanks to Peace, Love, & Pat:




I won a header contest over at her place to be designed by Parajunkee!!


Parajunkee's design blog:




and book blog:




Thank you both so much - it feels like Christmas!
I keep clicking back to look at it.....I love it!!!

Under Construction

Please bear with me, it'll be done soon!